Sylvester Stallone is a bona fide Hollywood legend – especially regarding his work in action flicks – with dozens of movies to his name, many of which have had sequels, but a handful of which audiences are still waiting to see follow-ups for today.
SUMMARY
Sylvester Stallone is a Hollywood legend known for his work in action flicks and his talents as an actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and fight choreographer.
While Stallone has appeared in many franchises with sequels, there are still some of his standalone films that would benefit from a follow-up.
Stallone has showcased his abilities in various genres, from animated films like “Antz” to sci-fi flicks like “Demolition Man.”
The Rocky, Rambo, Expendables, and Guardians of the Galaxy movies in which Stallone has appeared are all franchises with at least one sequel in which the star has appeared. However, seeing sequels to some of his best standalone films would be great.
Sylvester Stallone’s best movies make it clear he is a competent actor and a strong screenwriter, director, producer, and fight choreographer.
He’s also one of only two actors (Harrison Ford being the other) to have starred in movies that have topped the box office charts in six consecutive decades.
While not every Expendables movie or Rocky sequel was great, there are quite a few Stallone films that would welcome a follow-up.
With Creed III, the Rocky franchise now spans 9 movies and 6 decades. We rank every film in the boxing movie series to find the champion.
8The Suicide Squad (2021)
Stallone Provides The Voice Of King Shark, AKA Nanau
Release DateAugust 5, 2021
DirectorJames Gunn
CastMargot Robbie , Viola Davis , Idris Elba , John Cena , Joel Kinnaman , Michael Rooker
The Suicide Squad is a sequel itself, albeit a standalone one that bears little relation to its 2016 predecessor, Suicide Squad.
It follows the eponymous team and their efforts to defeat a giant alien starfish-like creature called Starro the Conqueror in exchange for shortened sentences in Belle Reve prison.
It’s a massively entertaining and colorful movie that’s action-packed, funny, and one of the DCEU’s best movies.
Stallone’s voice performance as King Shark is simple yet hilarious – and, notably, Steve Agee developed the physical portrayal of the CGI character.
A sequel would be exciting, but director James Gunn has indicated he doesn’t have one in mind for the DCEU’s newly planned future.
7Antz (1998)
Stallone Voices Brave Soldier Ant Corporeal Weaver
DreamWorks offering Antz is an animated comedy adventure about a lowly ant worker, Z, who falls for an ant princess and takes the responsibility of saving his colony from a conceited officer who threatens to render the worker population extinct.
Its fantastic voice cast includes Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, Christopher Walken, and Stallone, who competently plays Corporeal Weaver, a soldier ant and Z’s best friend who helps him.
Antz is performed enthusiastically by its A-list stars, visually stunning, and funny, with a terrific story and characters viewers want to root for. A sequel is long overdue.
6Cop Land (1997)
Stallone Joins An Incredible Cast
The neo-noir crime thriller Cop Land boasts a marvelous cast, including Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport, and Stallone, who plays Freddy Heflin.
Heflin is the sheriff of Garrison, a small New Jersey town, who finds himself up against a group of corrupt New York cops living and operating nearby.
The characters make the movie in Cop Land, as the main ones are all intriguing and well-developed. Stallone brilliantly plays Heflin as a grizzled, worn-down, everyday cop in extraordinary trouble.
Cop Land is hard-edged, suspenseful, and explosive. A sequel in which Heflin is forced out of retirement would be gripping.
5Cliffhanger (1993)
Cliffhanger Combines Tension And Suspense
The action thriller Cliffhanger centers on a mountain climber called Gabe, played by Stallone, who finds himself caught up in a heist while climbing in the Rocky Mountains, as an infamous group of international thieves crash-lands there following an attempt to steal millions of dollars from a U.S. Treasury aircraft.
This is a real showcase of Stallone’s talents, and he’s matched by Jon Lithgow, who makes a surprisingly convincing villain in former Military Intelligence operative Eric Qualen (albeit with a suspect English accent).
Cliffhanger is admittedly derivative, but it’s a masterpiece of tension and suspense with spectacular stunt work and near non-stop action. More Gabe adventures would be most welcome.
4Tango & Cash (1989)
A Timeless Classic That Could Use A Sequel
Tango & Cash is one of the most iconic buddy cop movies ever made. It combines comedy and action superbly, and while it’s not the most fantastic movie ever made, it’s high-octane and fun.
It stars Stallone as the refined Lieutenant Raymond “Ray” Tango and Kurt Russell as the more reckless Lieutenant Gabriel “Gabe” Cash.
The two Los Angeles cops are forced to work together when a criminal mastermind has them framed for murder.
Stallone and Russell bounce off each other brilliantly, making Tango & Cash many a movie fan’s guilty pleasure. It would be great to see the pair again in a sequel, showing what they’re up to now.
3Cobra (1986)
An Essential Sylvester Stallone ’80s Movie
The action flick Cobra follows the titular Marion “Cobra” Cobretti, played formidably by Stallone. Cobretti investigates a spate of crimes while protecting a model who witnessed the crimes’ perpetrators in action.
It’s a hugely underrated action movie with Stallone’s then-wife, Brigitte Nielsen, playing the woman his character must protect.
Their chemistry is obvious, and Cobra’s delicious combination of violence, action, and sleekness makes it a highly watchable film. It’s undoubtedly a little chaotic at times, but that’s everything fans of 1980s action movies could ever ask for.
More Cobretti adventures would certainly go down well with Stallone’s legions of fans and action lovers in general.
2Judge Dredd (1995)
While Not The Best Dredd Movie, A Sequel Could Work
Release DateJune 30, 1995
DirectorDanny Cannon
CastArmand Assante , Joan Chen , Rob Schneider , Sylvester Stallone , Max Von Sydow , Jurgen Prochnow , Diane Lane
1995’s Judge Dredd is the first movie based on the eponymous 2000 AD comic book character, with 2012’s Karl Urban-led reboot Dredd widely considered the better film.
Still, with Stallone playing Dredd in this sci-fi action offering, it’s worth watching. It depicts a dystopian world where a corps of ruthless “Judges” is the law.
Dredd, the most famous Judge, is framed for murder by his half-brother, a criminal and former judge he must now face off with. Stallone is the best thing about Judge Dredd, which is otherwise a bit sloppy.
Still, it looks great and is often amusing, and it’d be great to have more of Sylvester Stallone as Judge Dredd.
1Demolition Man (1993)
Stallone’s Best Sci-Fi Movie Deserves A Sequel
Release DateOctober 8, 1993
DirectorMarco Brambilla
CastSylvester Stallone , Wesley Snipes , Sandra Bullock , Nigel Hawthorne , Benjamin Bratt , Bob Gunton
Another sci-fi action movie, Demolition Man is about a reckless and destructive cop, John Spartan, who gets cryogenically frozen in 1996 along with Simon Phoenix, a criminal he failed to take down.
When Phoenix is thawed out for a 2032 parole hearing, he escapes, prompting the authorities to thaw Spartan so he can finally thwart him. Stallone plays Spartan, and Wesley Snipes plays Phoenix.
Their on-screen dynamic is superb, and they play off each other brilliantly. Sandra Bullock is also excellent as Lenina Huxley, Spartan’s 2032 love interest.
Demolition Man is sharply satirical, teeming with action, and occasionally brutal. It’s a tragedy that Sylvester Stallone hasn’t made a sequel.
